Newspoll: Scott Morrison gets top marks for handling pandemic

More than two-thirds of voters support Scott Morrison’s handling of the pandemic.

Support for Scott Morrison’s role in leading the ­pandemic response has fallen to 70 per cent, down from 85 per cent in April last year. Picture: Christian Gilles

More than two-thirds of Australians support Scott Morrison’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic — including a majority of Coalition, Labor and Greens ­voters — despite setbacks in the vaccine rollout and clashes with state governments over delivery and hotel quarantine.

An exclusive Newspoll survey conducted for The Australian revealed support for the Prime Minister’s management of the pandemic was holding up, with 57 per cent of Labor voters, 54 per cent of Greens voters and 89 per cent of Coalition voters saying he had handled the crisis well.

However, the latest poll — based on 1514 interviews conducted between April 21-24 — showed total support for Mr Morrison’s role in leading the ­pandemic response had fallen to 70 per cent, down from 85 per cent in April 2020 at the height of the outbreak.

A total of 27 per cent of respondents believe Mr Morrison is handling COVID-19 badly, nearly double the 14 per cent result he recorded one year earlier.

Satisfaction with Mr Morrison’s management of the vaccine rollout was more subdued, with 53 per cent of voters rating the government positively compared with 43 per cent who were dissatisfied.

 

Health Minister Greg Hunt on Monday said more than 1.93 million vaccinations had been administered across the country, including 1.2 million delivered by the commonwealth.

Analysis of support for the government’s vaccine rollout in the latest Newspoll was lowest among Australians aged 50-64, with a majority of Labor and Greens voters saying they were dissatisfied.

A total of 74 per cent of Australian voters aged 18-34 backed Mr Morrison’s pandemic performance — the most positive cohort compared with voters aged 35-49, 50-64, and 65 plus.

Anthony Albanese. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Ahead of the May 11 budget, which will provide updated assumptions on vaccine delivery and the gradual resumption of international travel, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry last Friday sent Mr Morrison, Josh Frydenberg and Mr Hunt its “Reopening Australia: How to ease restrictions as the vaccine rolls out” strategy.

ACCI’s recommendations, obtained by The Australian, cover further easing of domestic restrictions, government support for business, boosting vaccine literacy and reducing hesitancy, vaccinating priority groups and managing workplace jabs.

Australia’s largest business network urged the government to support “all ­options for scaling up vaccination rates”, including mass vaccination hubs, workplace vaccination sites and expanding who can administer vaccinations.

The business group said a “transparent plan is needed from government on how it will respond should the take-up be less than expected given the associated implications for restrictions and reopening, education campaigns, resourcing and budgets”.

“Given the change to AstraZeneca use and that the lack of community transmission … may potentially impact perceptions of the need for vaccination, particularly in younger people, there is a risk the take-up will not be as high as planned. This risk needs to be proactively managed as the flow-on effect to the easing of restrictions has serious implications on business, the economy and jobs.”

As the government shifts its focus to the budget, business groups are calling for greater collaboration and simplified rules across jurisdictions. The ACCI strategy said “if vaccine-manufacturers and GPs are afforded protection by way of vaccine adverse event indemnity, a business which promotes … an employee getting vaccinated should be provided equal protections”.